


Riddle Me This

by Zeplerfer



Series: 365 Days of USUK [7]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Dorks in Love, M/M, Pottertalia, Ravenclaw!Alfred, Ravenclaw!Arthur, Riddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 13:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5541914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeplerfer/pseuds/Zeplerfer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Answering the riddle to Ravenclaw Tower during winter break may help Arthur gain new insight into his tumultuous relationship with a fellow Ravenclaw student. Pottertalia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Riddle Me This

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr for the 365daysofusuk calendar. Credit to Mayumisatosan for the [story idea](http://mayumisatosan.tumblr.com/post/104352044267/possible-usukus-plots-to-pottertalia-fanfictions)!

In the quiet week between Christmas and New Year's, Ravenclaw Tower was a wonderful sight to behold. Festive garlands decorated the intricate metalwork of the spiral staircases and brass sconces cast a warm glow on the bookshelves lining every wall. Dormitories branched off from each level of the tower, connected by the narrow catwalks that gave students access to each other and all of the shelves. It was a tradition for each graduating Ravenclaw student to leave a textbook or novel behind for future Ravenclaws. After a millennium, the books stretched from the common area to the sunlight at the very top of the tower.

Arthur never tired of the sight and he made sure to borrow a book from the collection whenever he had a moment to spare. Truly, he loved being in the house of wit and learning.

But as much as he adored his house and its clever students, there was one aspect that Arthur could have done without. The stupid riddle he had to solve every time he came back from class! On days when he had finished a hard test or spent hours slaving over an essay in the library, he just wanted to be able to walk into his bedroom and take a well-deserved nap without having to prove that he was a clever person _yet again_. And if he didn’t know the answer, he had to wait for some other student to arrive, making him look ignorant in the process.

So after a long day spent studying in the library during Christmas break, Arthur approached the door to Ravenclaw Tower with some trepidation. He stared at the bronze eagle knocker and hoped for an easy riddle. His hopes were dashed as the magical knocker recited a short rhyme:

 _Two are we,_  
_What fools we be,_  
_That pine and yearn,_  
_But do not see._

Arthur tried not to groan. Instead he pursed his lips in thought and attempted to puzzle out an answer. As he was thinking, he heard steps approach from behind. He felt a rush of relief, until he turned around to see that it was _Alfred_ walking his way.

The other Ravenclaw student was handsome and funny and he had an annoying habit of making Arthur’s insides turn to mush whenever he smiled, which, given Alfred's sunny disposition, was quite often. Unfortunately, the first time Arthur had begun to feel certain flutterings in his chest (namely, when Alfred had lost his shirt after spilling a shrinking potion on it during their third-year potions class), he had mistaken it for indigestion and taken out his ire on the other blond. Things had gone downhill from there, leading them to constantly snipe at each other about shortcomings both real and imagined. If Arthur had ever had a chance with the goofy, gorgeous young man, he had certainly blown it by now.

“Hey, Artie! Can I help you with the riddle?” Alfred asked, giving Arthur a confident smirk as he sauntered up to the door.

“I don’t know. _Can_ you?” Arthur retorted, channeling his inner English teacher. He wanted to wipe that smirk off Alfred’s face with a punch or a kiss, but he wasn’t sure which.

Oblivious to Arthur’s inner turmoil, Alfred just laughed and waited for the knocker to repeat the riddle. When the knocker finished, he wrinkled his nose in confusion, and Arthur tried not to think about how _adorable_ he looked at that moment. Life was so unfair.

“I suppose that’s a no,” Arthur taunted, relieving the tension with a well-aimed insult.

Alfred glared. “Well, why don’t you solve it, Mr. Sm _artie_ -pants?”

“I will!” Arthur shouted back. He crossed his arms and glared at the bronze knocker. “So, it’s two of something and they’re blind,” he reasoned aloud.

“It’s two blind mice who smell some cheese but can’t reach it!”

Arthur gave the other boy an incredulous stare. He wondered, yet again, how Alfred had gotten into Ravenclaw and why he had fallen for a spacey dreamer who believed in aliens and crumple-horned snorkacks.

“Oh, I guess not,” Alfred said with a crestfallen expression when the door remained closed. Arthur wanted to wrap him in a comforting hug, but he resisted the temptation.

“‘What fools these mortals be’ is a line from A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Arthur explained. “So it must be about blind mortals.”

They tossed ideas back and forth for the next half hour about literature and different magical creatures, but none of their ideas opened the door. Despite the lack of success, Arthur discovered that it was rather pleasant to spend time with Alfred when they weren’t fighting. Perhaps it was just the holiday spirit, but the teasing felt good-natured in a way it hadn’t before.

“You know, love is blind,” Alfred suddenly suggested. “Maybe it’s about two lovers?”

“That's… a good point,” Arthur replied, making Alfred blush from the unexpected compliment. Seeing those red cheeks, he swore to himself that he would try harder to say nice things to the other Ravenclaw student. “But they aren’t lovers yet. That’s why they have to pine and yearn for what they don’t have and think they never will.”

Alfred gave a heartfelt sigh. “Man, I know the feeling.”

“So do I,” Arthur replied, catching Alfred’s gaze and admiring the way his cheeks darkened further.

Oh, _oh_. Like all riddles, it seemed so simple once he had figured it out. He cleared his throat and leaned a little closer to give the knocker its answer. "It's uh... it's _us_ ," he whispered.

"How is it us?" Alfred asked in confusion as the door swung open, letting them both enter the tower.

"Well, it's, uh... it's just that..." Arthur trailed off, flustered as they brushed shoulders while climbing up the main staircase together. Not quite knowing how to explain it, he settled for the direct approach. "Let's just say... would you like to go on a date with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?”

Alfred's eyes widened. He looked shocked for a moment and then suddenly grinned, sending another wave of flitterbies to Arthur's stomach. “Ooooh... I get it now. Yeah, that sounds awesome.”

"Wonderful!" Arthur agreed. It felt like he was floating on air as he slipped into his bedroom. He was glad his roommates had all gone home for break so they wouldn't see the dopey smile on his face. He also felt a surge of gratitude for the magical knocker and its tricky riddles. As a thank you, he tied a lovely blue bow to the door and, in turn, it asked ridiculously easy questions for the rest of Christmas break.

Truly, Ravenclaw was the best house.


End file.
